…IPOB fumes over Uhuru Kenyatta’s role
The lead counsel to the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Aloy Ejimakor, on Thursday disclosed that he had written the British High Commission, complaining about Kanu’s arrest and extradition.
He also lamented that despite writing the Department of State Services (DSS), he had not been allowed access to the IPOB leader.
Kanu, who is facing trial for treasonable felony, jumped bail in 2017 and fled the country for the UK when soldiers stormed his parents’ residence at Afaraukwu, Abia State.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Thursday said it would go after highly-placed Nigerians and other collaborators of Nnamdi Kanu.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, said irrespective of the collaborators’ standing in country, they would all face the full wrath of the law for challenging the nation’s sovereignty .
The Abia State indigene, who is also a British citizen, was thereafter taken before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where an application for his remand in DSS custody was granted.
“None of Kanu’s collaborators, irrespective of their standing in society will be spared”, Mohammed said.
“They will all face the full wrath of the law for their activities that challenge our nation’s sovereignty and threaten its unity. No one, no matter how highly placed, is bigger than the country”, he added.
But IPOB expressed displeasure over the role allegedly played by the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, in what it described as the unlawful arrest of Kanu.
The group, which said its investigations showed that Kenyatta was instrumental to the unlawful arrest of Kanu, observed, “The treacherous action of Uhuru Kenyatta against Nnamdi Kanu and Biafrans at large is a clear violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, and United Nations Code.”
The secessionist group stated this in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, a copy of which was made available to The PUNCH, on Thursday.
It stated, “Based on our preliminary findings, President Uhuru Kenyatta was very instrumental to the abduction of our leader in Kenya. The treacherous action of Uhuru Kenyatta against Nnamdi Kanu and Biafrans at large is a clear violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, and United Nations Code.
“As we continue with our investigations into this crime with a view to unmasking all the collaborators, we announce the following interim actions until further notice:
“We call on all Biafrans both home and in the Diaspora to boycott travels with Kenya Air Lines; to immediately stop patronising any product made in Kenya; and to boycott any business dealings with Kenyans. We cannot be relating friendly with anyone collaborating with our oppressors to keep us in perpetual slavery!”
On his part, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, advised the Federal Government to ensure that rule of law and due process was followed in the prosecution of Kanu.
Governor Wike, who made this assertion during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, explained that irrespective of the differences the arrested IPOB leader had with Rivers State Government, he suggested that due process must be followed in his prosecution.
Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, stated Wike’s position in a statement in Port Harcourt titled, ‘Trial of Nnamdi Kanu must follow due process—Wike’ with a sub-title ‘demands arrest of bandits, Miyetti Allah militias’.
Also on Thursday, there was palpable tension in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
Recall that the military has been in Oyigbo for over eight months since hoodlums burnt down police stations there.
Our correspondent, who monitored the area, reported said the military base and police stations in Oyigbo lpare were heavily guarded.
It was observed that the number of checkpoints along the Oyigbo road had increased, while sandbags had been placed at the border between Rivers and Abia states to serve as barricades. – Punch.
